Systems and methods of facilitating an operation of an electric off-road vehicle

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for facilitating an operation of an electric off-road vehicle are provided. A method includes determining an estimated battery consumption data for a planned trip along a route including an off-road trail with the electric off-road vehicle using past battery consumption data and communicating the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip to an operator of the electric off-road vehicle. When the electric off-road vehicle is travelling along the off-road trail, the method includes receiving actual battery consumption data associated with the electric off-road vehicle, and revising the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip based on the actual battery consumption data. The revised estimated battery consumption data is communicated to the operator of the electric off-road vehicle during the planned trip.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/255,518, filed Oct. 14, 2021, and from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/336,366, filed Apr. 29, 2022, both of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure relates generally to electric off-road electric vehicles, and more particularly to facilitating an operation of electric off-road vehicles.

BACKGROUND

Off-road vehicles such as snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles are widely used and are driven on routes including off-road trails. Trip planning for off-road vehicles can be done to some extent using trail maps. However, existing trail maps provide only limited information about the trails, which in turn can impose limitations to trip planning. In the case of electric off-road vehicles for example, battery range can be difficult to estimate when planning a trip along a route including an off-road trail due to environmental factors, for example. Improvement is desirable.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, the disclosure describes a method of facilitating an operation of an electric off-road vehicle. The method comprises:

receiving an identification of a planned trip along a route including an off-road trail for the electric off-road vehicle, the electric off-road vehicle being of a vehicle type;

using past battery consumption data associated with past trips along the route for the vehicle type, determining estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip along the route with the electric off-road vehicle;

communicating the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip to an operator of the electric off-road vehicle;

when the electric off-road vehicle is travelling along the route:

receiving actual battery consumption data associated with the electric off-road vehicle;

revising the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip based on the actual battery consumption data; and

communicating the revised estimated battery consumption data to the operator of the electric off-road vehicle during the planned trip.

The estimated battery consumption data may include an average of a plurality of battery consumption values respectively associated with the past trips.

Using past battery consumption data associated with past trips along the route for the vehicle type may include accessing a database including the past battery consumption data. The past battery consumption data may include: first past battery consumption data associated with a first operating condition along the route; and second past battery consumption data associated with a second operating condition along the route.

The method may include: receiving a planned operating condition associated with the planned trip along the route with the electric off-road vehicle; associating the planned operating condition with the first operating condition; and determining the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip along the route with the electric off-road vehicle using the first past battery consumption data.

The estimated battery consumption data may include an average of a plurality of battery consumption values from the first past battery consumption data.

The planned operating condition may include a weight to be carried by the electric off-road vehicle during the planned trip.

The planned operating condition may include an ambient temperature during the planned trip.

The planned operating condition may include a trail condition.

The revised estimated battery consumption data may include an estimated battery consumption for a remainder of the trip along the route.

The revised estimated battery consumption data may be communicated to the operator of the electric off-road vehicle via an operator interface of the electric off-road vehicle.

The method may comprise: comparing the estimated battery consumption data to a current charge status of a battery of the electric off-road vehicle; and alerting the operator of the electric off-road vehicle when the current charge status of the battery of the electric off-road vehicle is insufficient to complete the route.

Embodiments may include combinations of the above features.

In another aspect, the disclosure describes a computer program product for facilitating an operation of an electric off-road vehicle, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code readable/executable by a computer, processor or logic circuit to perform one or more methods described herein.

In another aspect, the disclosure describes an electric off-road vehicle comprising:

a battery;

an electric motor for propelling the electric vehicle, the electric motor being operatively connected to be driven by electric power from the battery;

an operator interface;

one or more data processors operatively connected to the operator interface; and

non-transitory machine-readable memory storing instructions executable by the one or more data processors and configured to cause the one or more data processors to:

cause the operator interface to display estimated battery consumption data for a planned trip of the electric off-road vehicle along a route including an off-road trail;

when the electric off-road vehicle is travelling along the route, revise the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip based on actual battery consumption data for the electric off-road vehicle; and

cause the operator interface to display the revised estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip of the electric off-road vehicle along the route.

The instructions may be configured to cause the one or more data processors to: compare the estimated battery consumption data to a current charge status of the battery; and cause an alert for the operator of the electric off-road vehicle when the current charge status of the battery of the electric off-road vehicle is insufficient to complete the route.

The instructions may be configured to cause the one or more data processors to cause the operator interface to facilitate a selection of the route to be travelled by the electric off-road vehicle.

The instructions may be configured to cause the one or more data processors to cause the actual battery consumption data to be communicated to a computer remote from the electric off-road vehicle.

The electric off-road vehicle may be a snowmobile.

Embodiments may include combinations of the above features.

In another aspect, the disclosure describes a computer-implemented method of facilitating an operation of a first electric off-road vehicle. The method comprises:

constructing a database of past battery consumption data associated with past trips along a route including an off-road trail with the first electric off-road vehicle and/or with one or more second electric off-road vehicles;

receiving, via an operator interface, a request for estimated battery consumption data associated with a planned trip along the route with the first electric off-road vehicle;

determining the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip along the route with the first electric off-road vehicle using the past battery consumption data; and

causing the estimated battery consumption data to be output via the operator interface.

The method may comprise: receiving actual battery consumption data of the first electric off-road vehicle during the planned trip along the route; revising the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip based on the actual battery consumption data; and causing the revised estimated battery consumption data to be output via the same or other operator interface.

The operator interface may be part of the first electric off-road vehicle. The operator interface may include a personal electronic device external to the first electric off-road vehicle.

The database of past battery consumption data associated with past trips along the route may include: first past battery consumption data associated with a first operating condition along the route; and second past battery consumption data associated with a second operating condition along the route.

The request for estimated battery consumption data may include a planned operating condition associated with the planned trip along the route with the first electric off-road vehicle.

The method may include: associating the planned operating condition with the first operating condition; and determining the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip along the route with the first electric off-road vehicle using the first past battery consumption data.

The planned operating condition may include a weight to be carried by the electric off-road vehicle during the planned trip.

The planned operating condition may include an ambient temperature during the planned trip. The planned operating condition may include a trail condition.

The past battery consumption data may be associated with past trips along the route with a plurality of the second electric off-road vehicles.

The first and second electric off-road vehicles may be of a common vehicle type. The common vehicle type may be a snowmobile. The first and second electric off-road vehicles may be of a common vehicle model.

The method may comprise alerting an operator of the electric off-road vehicle when a current charge status of a battery of the electric off-road vehicle is insufficient to complete the route.

Embodiments may include combinations of the above features.

In another aspect, the disclosure describes a system for facilitating an operation of a first electric off-road vehicle. The system comprises:

one or more data processors in data communication with an operator interface; and

non-transitory machine-readable memory storing:

a database of past battery consumption data associated with past trips along a route including an off-road trail with the first electric off-road vehicle and/or with one or more second electric off-road vehicles; and

instructions executable by the one or more data processors and configured to cause the one or more data processors to, when a request for estimated battery consumption data associated with a planned trip along the route with the first electric off-road vehicle is received via the operator interface:

determine the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip along the route with the first electric off-road vehicle using the past battery consumption data of the database; and

cause the estimated battery consumption data to be output via the operator interface.

The instructions may be configured to cause the one or more data processors to, when actual battery consumption data of the first electric off-road vehicle is received during the planned trip along the route: revise the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip based on the actual battery consumption data; and cause the revised estimated battery consumption data to be output via the operator interface.

The operator interface may be part of the first electric off-road vehicle. The operator interface may include a personal electronic device external to the first electric off-road vehicle.

The database of past battery consumption data associated with past trips along the route may include: first past battery consumption data associated with a first operating condition along the route; and second past battery consumption data associated with a second operating condition along the route.

The request for estimated battery consumption data may include a planned operating condition associated with the planned trip along the route with the first electric off-road vehicle.

The instructions may be configured to cause the one or more data processors to: associate the planned operating condition with the first operating condition; and determine the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip along the route with the first electric off-road vehicle using the first past battery consumption data.

The planned operating condition may include a weight to be carried by the electric off-road vehicle during the planned trip. The planned operating condition may include an ambient temperature during the planned trip.

The past battery consumption data may be associated with past trips along the route with a plurality of the second electric off-road vehicles.

The instructions may be configured to cause the one or more data processors to cause an alert for the operator of the electric off-road vehicle when a current charge status of a battery of the electric off-road vehicle is insufficient to complete the route.

Embodiments may include combinations of the above features.

In another aspect, the disclosure describes a computer-implemented method of facilitating an operation of an electric off-road vehicle. The method comprises:

providing an operator interface facilitating a selection of a first route including a first off-road trail and a second route including a second off-road trail for travelling with the electric off-road vehicle;

when a selection of the route is received via the operator interface:

determining estimated battery consumption data for a trip along the first route with the electric off-road vehicle; and outputting the estimated battery consumption data for the trip along the first route via the operator interface;

when a selection of the second route is received via the operator interface:

determining estimated battery consumption data for a trip along the second route with the electric off-road vehicle; and outputting the estimated battery consumption data for the trip along the second route via the operator interface.

The method may comprise:

accessing a database of past battery consumption data associated with past trips along the first and second routes with the electric off-road vehicle and/or with one or more other electric off-road vehicles;

when the selection of the first route is received via the operator interface, determining the estimated battery consumption data for the trip along the first route using the past battery consumption data associated with the past trips along the first route; and

when the selection of the second route is received via the operator interface, determining the estimated battery consumption data for the trip along the second route using the past battery consumption data associated with the past trips along the second route.

The past battery consumption data may be associated with past trips along the first and second routes with a plurality of the other electric off-road vehicles.

The database of past battery consumption data associated with past trips along the first and second routes may include: first past battery consumption data associated with a first operating condition along the first route; and second past battery consumption data associated with a second operating condition along the first route.

The operator interface may facilitate an input of a planned operating condition associated with the trip along the first route with the electric off-road vehicle.

The method may include: associating the planned operating condition with the first operating condition; and determining the estimated battery consumption data for the trip along the first route using the first past battery consumption data.

The planned operating condition may include a weight to be carried by the electric off-road vehicle. The planned operating condition may include an ambient temperature. The planned operating condition may include a trail condition.

The method may comprise: monitoring an actual battery consumption of the electric off-road vehicle during the trip along the first route; revising the estimated battery consumption data for the trip along the first route based on the actual battery consumption; and communicating the revised estimated battery consumption data to an operator of the electric off-road vehicle during the trip along the first route.

The revised estimated battery consumption data may include an estimated battery consumption for a remainder of the trip along the first route.

The operator interface may be provided on an operator interface of the electric off-road vehicle. The operator interface may be provided on a personal electronic device external to the electric off-road vehicle.

The method may comprise alerting a or the operator of the electric off-road vehicle when a current charge status of a battery of the electric off-road vehicle is insufficient to complete the first route or the second route.

Embodiments may include combinations of the above features.

In another aspect, the disclosure describes a system for facilitating an operation of an electric off-road vehicle. The system comprises:

one or more data processors in data communication with an operator interface facilitating a selection of a first route including a first off-road trail and a second route including a second off-road trail for travelling with the electric off-road vehicle; and

non-transitory machine-readable memory storing instructions executable by the one or more data processors and configured to cause the one or more data processors to:

when a selection of the first route is received via the operator interface:

determine estimated battery consumption data for a trip along the first route with the electric off-road vehicle; and

cause the estimated battery consumption data for the trip along the first route to be output via the operator interface;

when a selection of the second route is received via the operator interface:

determine estimated battery consumption data for a trip along the second route with the electric off-road vehicle; and

cause the estimated battery consumption data for the trip along the second route to be output via the operator interface.

The instructions may be configured to cause the one or more data processors to:

access a database of past battery consumption data associated with past trips along the first and second routes with the electric off-road vehicle and/or with one or more other electric off-road vehicles;

when the selection of the first route is received via the operator interface, determine the estimated battery consumption data for the trip along the first route using the past battery consumption data associated with the past trips along the first route; and

when the selection of the second route is received via the operator interface, determine the estimated battery consumption data for the trip along the second route using the past battery consumption data associated with the past trips along the second route.

The past battery consumption data may be associated with past trips along the first and second routes with a plurality of the other electric off-road vehicles.

The database of past battery consumption data associated with past trips along the first and second routes may include: first past battery consumption data associated with a first operating condition along the first route; and second past battery consumption data associated with a second operating condition along the first route.

The instructions may be configured to cause the one or more data processors to, when a planned operating condition associated with the trip along the first route with the electric off-road vehicle is received via the operator interface: associate the planned operating condition with the first operating condition; and determine the estimated battery consumption data for the trip along the first route using the first past battery consumption data.

The planned operating condition may include a weight to be carried by the electric off-road vehicle. The planned operating condition may include an ambient temperature.

The instructions may be configured to cause the one or more data processors to: revise the estimated battery consumption data for the trip along the first route based on the actual battery consumption during the trip along the first route; and communicate the revised estimated battery consumption data to an operator of the electric off-road vehicle during the trip along the first route.

The revised estimated battery consumption data may include an estimated battery consumption for a remainder of the trip along the first route.

The instructions may be configured to cause the one or more data processors to cause an alert for a or the operator of the electric off-road vehicle when a current charge status of a battery of the electric off-road vehicle is insufficient to complete the first route or the second route.

Embodiments may include combinations of the above features.

In another aspect, the disclosure describes a computer-implemented method of facilitating an operation of an electric off-road vehicle. The method comprises:

receiving estimated battery consumption data for a planned trip along a known route with the electric off-road vehicle, the estimated battery consumption data being based on past battery consumption data associated with past trips along the known route;

receiving actual battery consumption data associated with the electric off-road vehicle;

when the electric off-road vehicle is travelling along the known route during the planned trip:

revising the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip based on the actual battery consumption data; and

communicating the revised estimated battery consumption data to the operator of the electric off-road vehicle during the planned trip; and

when the electric off-road vehicle deviates from the known route to an unknown route different from the known route during the planned trip and no past battery consumption data is available for the unknown route, ceasing to revise the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip based on the actual battery consumption data.

The method may comprise, when the electric off-road vehicle returns to the known route during the planned trip after deviating from the known route, resuming to revise the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip based on the actual battery consumption.

The method may comprise recording data associated with the unknown route at a server remote from the off-road vehicle.

The method may comprise recording actual battery consumption data associated with the electric off-road vehicle travelling along the unknown route.

The known route may include an off-road trail. The known route may include a waterway.

The electric off-road vehicle may be an electric snowmobile.

Embodiments may include combinations of the above features.

In another aspect, the disclosure describes a system for facilitating an operation of an electric off-road vehicle. The system comprises:

one or more data processors in data communication with an operator interface associated with the off-road vehicle; and non-transitory machine-readable memory storing instructions executable by the one or more data processors and configured to cause the one or more data processors to:

cause the operator interface to display estimated battery consumption data for a planned trip of the electric off-road vehicle along a known route for which past battery consumption data associated with past trips along the known route is available;

when the electric off-road vehicle is travelling along the known route during the planned trip, revise the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip based on actual battery consumption data for the electric off-road vehicle;

cause the operator interface to display the revised estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip of the electric off-road vehicle along the known route; and

when the electric off-road vehicle deviates from the known route to an unknown route different from the known route during the planned trip and no past battery consumption data is available for the unknown route, cease to revise the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip based on the actual battery consumption data.

The instructions may be configured to cause the one or more data processors to, when the electric off-road vehicle returns to the known route during the planned trip after deviating from the known route, resume to revise the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip based on the actual battery consumption.

The instructions may be configured to cause the one or more data processors to cause data associated with the unknown route and acquired via the off-road vehicle to be recorded.

The instructions may be configured to cause the one or more data processors to cause actual battery consumption data associated with the electric off-road vehicle travelling along the unknown route to be recorded.

Embodiments may include combinations of the above features.

Further details of these and other aspects of the subject matter of this application will be apparent from the detailed description included below and the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an exemplary electric off-road vehicle including an onboard system for facilitating an operation of the vehicle;

FIG. 2 is another schematic representation of the electric off-road vehicle and the onboard system of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of an exemplary network system for facilitating the operation of the electric off-road vehicle;

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of an exemplary server of the network system of FIG. 3 ;

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method of facilitating the operation of an electric off-road vehicle;

FIG. 6 is a table illustrating an exemplary structure of a database of past battery consumption data associated with past trips along routes including off-road trails;

FIG. 7 is a table illustrating exemplary categorized past battery consumption data associated with past trips along routes including off-road trails;

FIG. 8 is an illustration of an exemplary operator interface associated with the electric off-road vehicle;

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of another exemplary method of facilitating the operation of an electric off-road vehicle;

FIG. 10 is an illustration of another exemplary operator interface associated with the electric off-road vehicle;

FIG. 11 is an illustration of another exemplary operator interface associated with the electric off-road vehicle;

FIG. 12 is an illustration of an exemplary alert message communicated to an operator of the electric off-road vehicle;

FIG. 13 is a flow diagram of another exemplary method of facilitating the operation of an electric off-road vehicle; and

FIG. 14 is a flow diagram of another exemplary method of facilitating the operation of an electric off-road vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following disclosure relates to systems and associated methods for facilitating the operation of electric off-road vehicles. In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may be particularly suitable for off-road trip planning, and also providing more reliable battery consumption estimates for trips along routes including one or more off-road trails or one or more navigable bodies of water (waterways). For example, the systems and methods described herein may provide battery consumption estimates based on past trips along the same route previously executed by other operators using other electric off-road vehicles.

Providing reliable battery consumption estimates for trips including off-road trails or waterways presents a particular set of challenges. Travel along an off-road trail or waterway may be highly variable, both in terms of the means of travel (e.g., a type of vehicle used for the trip) and the conditions of the trip. Many different categories of off-road vehicle exist, including snowmobiles, electric utility task vehicles (UTVs) such as side-by-side vehicles, electric all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and personal watercraft (PWC), for example. These different categories of off-road vehicles may have significant differences in how they are propelled along an off-road trail or waterway (e.g., whether the vehicles include wheels, a track, a propeller or a jet propulsion system). Further, there may be significant differences between vehicles within a single category of off-road vehicle. For example, a snowmobile designed for mountain riding and deep snow may have a significantly different construction than a utility snowmobile designed primarily for operation on groomed trails. In some embodiments, the systems and associated methods disclosed may herein account for a vehicle type in providing battery consumption estimates for trips along routes including off-road trails or waterways. Environmental and/or vehicle conditions may also affect battery consumption along an off-road trail or waterway. For example, such conditions might affect how efficiently power from a motor is converted to propulsion of a vehicle. Certain trail, ground and/or vehicle conditions may increase slippage between a ground engaging member (e.g., a tire or track) and the ground, potentially resulting in reduced efficiency. Other conditions such as vehicle weight and ambient temperature may also affect battery consumption along an off-road trail. In some embodiments, the systems and associated methods disclosed herein account for trip conditions in providing battery consumption estimates for trips along routes including off-road trails or waterways.

In some embodiments, the battery consumption estimates may be updated (e.g., in real time) based on actual battery consumption data as the off-road vehicle is travelling along a selected route. Accordingly, the battery consumption estimates may be updated in a manner that efficiently takes into account various operating conditions that can affect battery range such as operator driving habits, ambient temperature, terrain (e.g., snow) conditions, and the weight carried by the vehicle for example. In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may provide improved operator experience with electric off-road vehicles, by improving trip planning, and promoting operator peace of mind by assisting with managing battery charge to safely reach a charging station or other intended destination.

Aspects of various embodiments are described through reference to the drawings.

The term “connected” may include both direct connection (where two elements contact each other) and indirect connection (where at least one additional element is located between the two elements).

The term “substantially” as used herein may be applied to modify any quantitative representation which could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related.

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an exemplary electric off-road vehicle 10A (referred hereinafter as “vehicle 10A”), which may include onboard system 12 for facilitating the operation of vehicle 10A. As illustrated in FIG. 1 , vehicle 10A may be a snowmobile but it is understood that the systems and methods described herein may also be used with other types of electric off-road vehicles including electric utility task vehicles (UTVs), such as side-by-side vehicles, electric all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and personal watercraft (PWC) for example. In some embodiments, vehicle 10A may be an electric snowmobile including elements of the snow vehicle described in International Patent Application no. WO 2019/049109 A1 (Title: Battery arrangement for electric snow vehicles), and U.S. Patent Application No. 63/135,497 (Title: Electric vehicle with battery pack as structural element) which are incorporated herein by reference.

Vehicle 10A may include a frame (also known as a chassis) which may include tunnel 14, track 16 having the form of an endless belt for engaging the ground and disposed under tunnel 14, one or more electric motors 18 (referred hereinafter in as “motor 18”) mounted to the frame and configured to drive track 16, left and right skis 20 disposed in a front portion of vehicle 10A, and straddle seat 22 disposed above tunnel 14 for accommodating an operator of vehicle 10A and optionally one or more passengers. Skis 20 may be movably attached to the frame to permit steering of vehicle 10A via a steering assembly including a steering column interconnecting handlebar 24 with skis 20.

Motor 18 may be drivingly connected to track 16 via a drive shaft to cause propulsion of vehicle 10A. Motor 18 may be in torque-transmitting engagement with the drive shaft via a belt/pulley drive. However, motor 18 may be in torque-transmitting engagement with the drive shaft via other arrangements such as a chain/sprocket drive, or shaft/gear drive for example. The drive shaft may be drivingly connected to track 16 via one or more toothed wheels or other means so as to transfer motive power from motor 18 to track 16.

Vehicle 10 may also include one or more high-voltage (HV) batteries 26 (referred hereinafter in the singular as “battery 26”) for providing electric power to motor 18 and driving motor 18. Battery 26 may be disposed under seat 22 and may also be referred to as a “battery pack”. The operation of motor 18 may be controlled by one or more controllers 28 (referred hereinafter in the singular) based on an actuation of accelerator 30, also referred to as “throttle”, by the operator. In some embodiments, battery 26 may be a rechargeable lithium ion or other type of battery. In some embodiments, battery 26 may be configured to output electric power at a voltage of between 300-400 volts, or up to 800 volts, for example.

Vehicle 10A may include onboard operator interface 32, which may be in the form of an instrument panel and/or one or more operator input devices permitting the operator to input commands or other data into vehicle 10, and also receive information about vehicle 10A. Onboard operator interface 32 may include one or more widgets for manipulation by the operator. Such widgets may, for example, include rotary switches, toggle switches, push buttons, knobs, dials, etc. The widgets may include one or more physical (hard) devices and/or one or more graphical objects on a graphical operator interface provided on a display screen of operator interface 32 for example. Onboard operator interface 32 may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen, thin-film-transistor (TFT) LCD screen, light-emitting diode (LED) or other suitable display device operatively connected to controller 28. In some embodiments, operator interface 32 may be touch-sensitive to facilitate operator inputs. As explained further below, operator interface 32 may be capable of being controlled by controller 28 to selectively display information to facilitate trip planning, such as facilitating route selection and providing an estimated battery consumption 50 (shown in FIG. 2 ) required to complete a selected route including an off-road trail for example.

Vehicle 10A may include onboard antenna 34 operatively connected to wireless transceiver 52 (shown in FIG. 2 ) and controller 28 to permit receipt and transmission of data to and from vehicle 10A. Alternatively, or in addition, vehicle 10A may include physical (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB)) port 53 (shown in FIG. 2 ) to permit wired data communication (e.g., receipt and transmission) with a personal electronic device (e.g., smartphone, laptop computer, tablet computer).

FIG. 2 is another schematic representation of electric off-road vehicle 10A. As illustrated, onboard system 12 may include several components of vehicle 10A, such as controller 28, wireless transceiver 52, onboard operator interface 32 and GPS receiver 56, for example. Motor 18 may provide propulsive power to vehicle 10A and may be part of powertrain 36 of vehicle 10A. In various embodiments, motor 18 may be a permanent magnet synchronous motor or a brushless direct current motor for example. Motor 18 may be of a same type as, or may include elements of, the motors described in U.S. Provisional Patent Applications no. U.S. 63/135,466 (Title: Drive unit for electric vehicle) and no. U.S. 63/135,474 (Title: Drive unit with fluid pathways for electric vehicle), which are incorporated herein by reference.

Motor 18 may be drivingly connected to track 16 in embodiments where vehicle 10A is a snowmobile for example. For UTVs and ATVs, motor 18 may be drivingly connected to wheels and tires as ground-engaging members. Powertrain 36 may also include one or more batteries 26 (referred hereinafter in the singular) for providing electric power to motor 18 and driving motor 18. The operation of motor 18 and the delivery of electric power to motor 18 may be controlled by controller 28 via output(s) 38 and power electronics module 40. Power electronics module 40 may include suitable electronic switches (e.g., insulated gate bipolar transistor(s)) to provide motor 18 with electric power having the desired voltage, current, waveform, etc. to implement the desired performance of vehicle 10A based on an actuation of accelerator 30 by the operator to indicate a command to propel vehicle 10A. In some embodiments, power electronics module 40 may include a power inverter for example.

Vehicle 10A may include one or more sensors 42 operatively connected to component(s) of powertrain 36. Sensor(s) 42 may be configured to sense one or more parameters of powertrain 36. Controller 28 may be configured to control motor 18 based on feedback received via sensor(s) 42. Controller 28 may include one or more data processors 44 (referred hereinafter as “processor 44”) and non-transitory machine-readable memory 46. Controller 28 may be operatively connected to sensor(s) 42 via wired or wireless connections for example so that one or more parameters acquired via sensor(s) 42 may be received at controller 28 and used by processor 44 in one or more procedures or steps defined by instructions 48 stored in memory 46 and executable by processor 44.

Sensor(s) 42 may include one or more current sensors and/or one or more voltage sensors operatively connected to battery 26 and/or operatively connected to power electronics module 40. Sensor(s) 42 may acquire one or more signals indicative of, or useful in deriving, an actual (e.g., current, live, real-time) state of charge 43 (referred hereinafter as “SoC 43”) of battery 26 and/or other parameters of powertrain 36. SoC 43 may be determined using any suitable method and may be expressed as a percentage of the capacity of battery 26 (e.g., 0%=empty; 100%=full), or as any other suitable indication.

Sensor(s) 42 may acquire one or more signals indicative of, or useful in deriving, actual (e.g., current, real-time) battery consumption data 49 of battery 26 as vehicle 10A is driven. Actual battery consumption data 49 may be indicative of a discharge rate (i.e., power utilization rate or cost) of battery 26 over time and/or over a distance travelled by vehicle 10. For example, actual battery consumption data 49 may be expressed as a percentage of the capacity of battery 26 over time or distance (e.g., SoC (%)/hour; SoC (%)/km). Alternatively, actual battery consumption data 49 may be expressed as kilowatt-hours-per-kilometer for example.

SoC 43 and/or actual battery consumption data 49 may be computed by controller 28 using data acquired via sensor(s) 42. As explained below, SoC 43 and/or actual battery consumption data 49 may be used to verify estimated battery consumption data 50 and revise (if needed) estimated battery consumption data 50 as vehicle 10A is driven along the planned route.

Vehicle 10A may be capable of data communication with one or more devices external to vehicle 10A. Vehicle 10A may include one or more wireless transceivers 52 (referred hereinafter in the singular) operatively connected to controller 28 to enable receipt and transmission of data to and from vehicle 10A via onboard antenna 34. Wireless transceiver 52 may be configured for wireless data communication at one or more frequencies (e.g., 915 MHZ and/or at 2.4 GHz).

In various embodiments, estimated battery consumption data 50 for a planned route (e.g., route ID 54) may be determined onboard vehicle 10A or remotely from vehicle 10A and subsequently transmitted to vehicle 10A via wireless data communication for example. Wireless transceiver 52 may also be used to transmit one or more operating parameters of vehicle 10A remotely from vehicle 10A. Route ID 54 may be received via a suitable operator interface based on operator input during the trip planning stage.

Vehicle 10A may include a satellite navigation device, referred herein as a global positioning system (GPS) receiver 56, operatively connected to controller 28. GPS receiver 56 may be capable of receiving information from global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) satellites that may be used to calculate a geographical position of vehicle 10A. The information received at GPS receiver 56 may also be used to calculate an estimated actual velocity of vehicle 10A and/or determine an actual position of vehicle 10A along a selected route for example. The information received at GPS receiver 56 may also be used to determine actual battery consumption data 49 as a function of distance travelled along route ID 54 substantially in real-time as vehicle 10A is travelling route ID 54. The information received at GPS receiver 56 may also be used by controller 28 to determine which route vehicle 10A is currently on without the need for specific operator input. In some embodiments, route ID 54 may be transmitted from vehicle 10A to server 60 and/or to other component(s) of network system 58 (shown in FIG. 3 ).

Controller 28 may carry out additional functions than those described herein. Processor 44 may include any suitable device(s) configured to cause a series of steps to be performed by controller 28 so as to implement a computer-implemented process such that instructions 48, when executed by controller 28 or other programmable apparatus, may cause the functions/acts specified in the methods described herein to be executed. Processor 44 may include, for example, any type of general-purpose microprocessor or microcontroller, a digital signal processing (DSP) processor, an integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a reconfigurable processor, other suitably programmed or programmable logic circuits, or any combination thereof.

Memory 46 may include any suitable machine-readable storage medium. Memory 46 may include non-transitory computer readable storage medium such as, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. Memory 46 may include a suitable combination of any type of machine-readable memory that is located either internally or externally to controller 28. Memory 46 may include any storage means (e.g. devices) suitable for retrievably storing machine-readable instructions 48 executable by processor 44.

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of an exemplary network system 58 for facilitating the operation of electric off-road vehicle 10A. Network system 58 may include one or more servers 60 (referred hereinafter in the singular) in data communication with vehicle 10A and/or with one or a plurality of other vehicles 10B via communication network 62. Accordingly, servers 60 may be in data communication with multiple vehicles 10B, including fleets of vehicles 10B. Network 62 may include one or more network antennas 64. Network 62 may include a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), cellular (e.g., 4G or Long-Term Evolution (LTE)) network, internet-based network, satellite-based network, Wi-Fi or other suitable type of network.

Network system 58 may include one or more external operator interfaces 66 (referred hereinafter in the singular) that may be provided via personal electronic devices such as smartphone 68 and/or laptop computer 70. External operator interfaces 66 may be in direct wireless or wired data communication (e.g., paired via Bluetooth® or connected via port 53) with vehicle 10A, or indirect wireless data communication with vehicle 10A via other elements of network 62. In some embodiments, data communication between vehicle 10A and server 60 may be established via the personal electronic device, which may be in wired or wireless data communication with vehicle 10A.

External operator interfaces 66 may also be in data communication with server 60. In some embodiments, external operator interface 66 may include a webpage provided by a website and displayed to the operator using a web browser via smartphone 68 and/or via laptop computer 70. External operator interface 66 may be provided via an application (app) running on smartphone 68 and/or on laptop computer 70.

In various embodiments, functionalities such as route selection and estimated battery consumption data 50 may be provided via onboard operator interface 32 and/or via external operator interface 66. In various embodiments, methods described herein may be performed by onboard system 12 of vehicle 10A or by server 60. In some embodiments, some aspects of methods described herein may be performed by onboard system 12 of vehicle 10A, and some aspects of the methods may be performed by server 60 and/or other components of network system 58.

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of an exemplary server 60 of the network system 58. Server 60 may include a computer configured for data communication with other elements of network system 58 via antenna 64. Server 60 may include one or more remote computing devices and one or more data storage and retrieval devices. For example, server 60 may include data processor 72 operatively connected to memory 74. Processor 72 may include any suitable device(s) configured to cause a series of steps to be performed by server 60 so as to implement a computer-implemented process such that instructions 76, when executed by server 60 or other programmable apparatus, may cause the functions/acts specified in the methods described herein to be executed. Memory 74 may include any suitable machine-readable storage medium. Memory 74 may include non-transitory computer readable storage medium (e.g. devices) suitable for retrievably storing machine-readable instructions 76 executable by processor 72.

Server 60 may be in continuous or periodic data communication with external operator interface 66 and/or onboard operator interface 32 to facilitate route selection and also facilitate the determination of an estimated battery consumption 50 for one or more selected routes. Server 60 may be in continuous or periodic data communication with vehicle 10A and/or with one or more other vehicles 10B in order to collect (e.g., sensed and/or operator-input) data from vehicle 10A and/or from other vehicles 10B, including one or more fleets of vehicle 10B and/or multiple vehicles 10B from one or manufacturers of vehicles 10B. The data collected may include GPS data to facilitate route selection, actual battery consumption for trips along selected routes by vehicle 10A and/or one or more other vehicles 10B, and optionally other operating conditions associated with the trips. Operating conditions may include any trip information that could impact the range and/or efficiency of vehicle 10A, 10B on a route. Non-limiting examples of operating conditions may include: an ambient temperature sensed at vehicle(s) 10A, 10B during the trips; a sensed (or operator-input) weight carried by vehicle(s) 10A, 10B during the trips; data relating to driving habits such as average (and/or maximum) speed during the trips, average (and/or maximum) torque output from motor 18 during the trips, vehicle operating mode (e.g. eco, sport, normal), terrain conditions (e.g. snow and ice conditions) and maximum acceleration during the trips. Other data related to performance and/or maintenance of vehicle(s) 10A, 10B may also be collected by server 60, such as the age of battery 26, Soc 43 of battery 26 at the beginning of the trips, and Soc 43 of battery 26 at the end of the trips, for example. The data collected by server 60 may be used to build database 78 including historical data that may later be used to determine estimated battery consumption data 50 for future trips.

Server 60 may have access to one or more other data sources (e.g., third party databases) containing topography data, map data, and weather data for example. Such other data sources may be used in the methods disclosed herein.

In some embodiments, memory 74 of server 60 may also store route ID(s) 54, estimated battery consumption data 50 and actual battery consumption data 49, which may be used to perform one or more methods or actions described herein.

Various aspects of the present disclosure may be embodied as systems, devices, methods and/or computer program products. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more non-transitory computer readable medium (e.g., memory 46, 74) having computer readable program code (e.g., instructions 48, 76) embodied thereon. Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of the present disclosure in accordance with instructions 48, 76 may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. Such program code may be executed entirely or in part by controller 28 and/or server 60 or other data processing device(s). It is understood that, based on the present disclosure, one skilled in the relevant arts could readily write computer program code for implementing the methods described and illustrated herein.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method 100 of facilitating the operation of vehicle 10A or of another electric off-road vehicle. For example, method 100 may be modified to instead facilitate the operation of a PWC where the selected route includes a waterway instead of an off-road trail. Aspects of method 100 may be combined with other actions or aspects of other methods described herein. In various embodiments, method 100 may be carried out using onboard system 12, network system 58, or a combination of both onboard system 12 and network system 58. Functions and other aspects of vehicle 10A, onboard system 12 and network system 58 may be incorporated into method 100. Further aspects of method 100 are described below in reference to other figures. In various embodiments, method 100 may computer-implemented and may include:

constructing database 78 including past battery consumption data associated with past trips along a route (e.g., route ID 54) including an off-road trail with electric off-road vehicle 10A and/or with one or more other electric off-road vehicles 10B (block 102);

receiving, via onboard operator interface 32 or external operator interface 66, a request for estimated battery consumption data 50 associated with a planned trip along the route with electric off-road vehicle 10A (block 104);

determining estimated battery consumption data 50 for the planned trip along the route with electric off-road vehicle 10A using the past battery consumption data from database 78 (block 106); and

causing estimated battery consumption data 50 to be output via onboard operator interface 32 or external operator interface 66 (block 108).

The one or more other electric off-road vehicles 10B may include multiple vehicles 10B from one vehicle manufacturer, and/or multiple vehicles 10B from multiple different vehicle manufacturers. The one or more other electric off-road vehicles 10B may also include a fleet of vehicles 10B.

FIG. 6 is a table illustrating an exemplary structure of database 78 of past battery consumption data associated with past trips along different routes, which may each include one or more route segments (e.g., RS1, RS2). Such route segments (e.g., RS1, RS2) may be used to build routes for planned trips. The route segments (e.g., RS1, RS2) may be smaller off-road trail portions (or part(s) of waterways) that may be selectable by the operator, or combined by onboard system 12 and/or network system 58, to build planned trips. Data associated with route segments RS1, RS2 may be used by onboard system 12 and/or network system 58 to determine estimated battery consumption data 50 for planned trips that may include one or more route segments (e.g., RS1, RS2).

Database 78 may be constructed and stored by server 60, and estimated battery consumption 50 for a selected route including one or more route segments (e.g., RS1, RS2) may be determined at server 60 and communicated to the operator via onboard operator interface 32 and/or external operator interface 66. Database 78 may include an organized collection of data that may be stored and accessible electronically. The construction of database 78 may include populating a predefined database model having the form of one or a plurality of tables including rows and columns. Database 78 may be populated using data values associated with past trips made by vehicle(s) 10A, 10B. Database 78 may be constructed and used by a suitable database management system (DBMS). The DBMS may include software that facilitates interactions with end users (e.g., vehicle operators), with applications, and with database 78 itself to capture and analyze the data.

The DBMS may also include software to facilitate the administration of database 78. The administration of database 78 may be handled by a manufacturer of vehicle(s) 10A, 10B, a retailer of vehicle(s) 10A, 10B, a (e.g., snowmobile or ATV) riding club to which operator(s) of vehicle(s) 10A, 10B belong, and/or other service provider(s) that may provide a route planning service to operator(s) of vehicles 10A, 10B.

In some embodiments, some (e.g., a subset of) data from database 78 may be stored onboard vehicle 10A and used by controller 28 of vehicle 10A to determine estimated battery consumption 50 onboard of vehicle 10A, and communicate estimated battery consumption 50 to the operator via onboard operator interface 32 and/or external operator interface 66.

Determining estimated battery consumption data 50 may be performed by performing filtering or other functions using the data stored in database 78. In the case where a planned trip is made up of only one route segment (e.g., RS1, RS2), estimated battery consumption data 50 for the planned trip may be determined using the data associated with that particular route segment. However, in the case where a planned trip is made up of a plurality of route segments, determining estimated battery consumption data 50 for the planned trip may be performed by filtering the data stored in database 78 to determine the combination of route segments that make up the planned trip and then summing the estimated battery consumptions for the selected combination of route segments.

Instead or in addition to using database 78, the past battery consumption data associated with past trips along different segments (e.g., RS1, RS2) may be used as a dataset to train an artificial intelligence model that may then be used to determine suitable estimated battery consumption data 50. For example, a machine learning model such as an artificial neural network may be trained using the past battery consumption data and then used to provide estimated battery consumption data 50 based on operator requests, or to revise estimated battery consumption data 50 based on actual battery consumption during an actual trip.

Database 78 may include historical records of past trips taken along recognized route segments (e.g., RS1, RS2) that include off-road trails (or waterways). Route segments (e.g., RS1, RS2) may be partially, mostly or entirely made up of off-road trails (or waterways). Such off-road trails may be intended to be travelled by off-road vehicles and may exclude public roads and streets. The field “Past Trip ID” in database 78 may provide an identification of the past trips. Each past trip may include one or more route IDs 54 that identifies the applicable route segment(s) (e.g, RS1, RS2) associated with the past trip. The route ID 54 may represent a recognized (i.e., known) route segment (e.g., RS1, RS2) associated with the past trip. When determining estimated battery consumption data 50 for an entire planned trip, battery consumption data associated with one or with a plurality of route IDs 54 (e.g., RS1, RS2) may be used.

In embodiments where database 78 may be related to a plurality of vehicle types, each past trip may also include a vehicle type (e.g., V1) identifying the type of vehicle that was used to travel the route. In some embodiments, the vehicle type may represent a category of off-road vehicle such as a snowmobile, UTV, ATV or PWC. In some embodiments, the vehicle type may be more specific and represent a specific vehicle brand and/or model. Vehicle types may include or be associated with certain vehicle metrics relevant to estimating battery consumption. For example, different vehicle types may have associated values of maximum motor output power (e.g., in W), battery capacity (e.g., in Wh), weight (e.g., in kg) and/or track length (e.g., in the case of a snowmobile). Database 78 may also include an associated battery consumption associated with the past trips. The battery consumption may be represented as an energy consumption measure (e.g., Wh or SoC) that was required to complete the route (i.e., total for the route), or an energy consumption as a function of distance along the route (e.g., Wh/km or SoC/km).

In some embodiments, database 78 may also include one or more respective operating conditions associated with the past trips. These operating conditions (e.g., first operating conditions C1-1 to C1-9, and second operating conditions C2-1 to C2-9) may be collected by server 60 as explained above. Such operating conditions may include a sensed ambient (e.g., outside) temperature around the applicable vehicle during the past trip. Such operating conditions may include a weight carried by the applicable vehicle during the past trip or another operating condition. In some embodiments, the operating conditions recorded may be used to sort/categorize the data in database 78 in order to improve the accuracy of estimated battery consumption 50 to facilitate trip planning. For example, the data in database 78 may indicate that estimated battery consumption 50 increases by a certain proportion when additional weight is added to an applicable vehicle.

In various embodiments, database 78 may include data collected from vehicle 10A and/or from other vehicle(s) 10B. In some embodiments, database 78 may include data collected from a plurality of other vehicle(s) 10B. Vehicles 10A and vehicle(s) 10B may be of a common vehicle type. Vehicles 10A and vehicle(s) 10B may be of a common vehicle model.

FIG. 7 is a table illustrating exemplary categorized past battery consumption data 80 associated with past trips along recognized route segment RS1. Categorized past battery consumption data 80 may be derived from data in database 78 (e.g., may represent average, median and/or most common values for any, some or all of data in database 78) and may be used to assist an operator of vehicle 10A with trip planning. For example, categorized past battery consumption data 80 may be categorised based on applicable operating conditions. Categorized past battery consumption data 80 may also include some statistics related to energy consumption. For example, categorized past battery consumption data 80 may include the average, median, minimum and maximum battery consumption associated with travelling a route under a particular operating condition.

In reference to FIG. 7 , operating condition C1 may represent a specific ambient temperature or a range of ambient temperatures. Operating condition C2 may represent a specific ambient temperature or a range of ambient temperatures different from operating condition C1. Alternatively, operating condition C1 may represent a specific weight (load) carried by the vehicle or a range of weight carried by the vehicle. Operating condition C2 may represent a specific weight carried by the vehicle or a range of weight carried by the vehicle different from operating condition C1. Other (e.g., operator-defined) operating conditions that may be represented in the table of FIG. 7 may include a trail condition (e.g., snow condition such as groomed, slush, hard packed (icy), fresh powder, etc.), an age of vehicle 10A, an age of battery 26, driving style/habits (e.g., conservative, moderate or aggressive), a vehicle operating mode such as an “eco” mode intended to assist the operator to drive in a way that promotes an extended battery range, a sport mode intended to provide increased acceleration responsiveness, and a normal mode which may facilitate a vehicle performance between the eco and sport modes.

The categorization of past battery consumption data may also be based on combinations of individual operating conditions such as a carried weight range combined with an ambient temperature range for example. The categorized past battery consumption data 80 may be used in conjunction with one or more planned operating conditions specified by an operator to provide more accurate estimated battery consumption data 50 to the operator during trip planning.

In some embodiments, categorized past battery consumption data 80 may also include a “default” category for the operating condition(s). The default category may represent a category associated with a consolidation of the data available in database 78 associated with a particular route and optionally with a vehicle type as well. For example, the default category may be associated with (e.g., average, median, most common) values of past battery consumption data 80. The default category may be used to determine an (e.g., initial, rough) estimate of battery consumption data during route planning where some or all of the actual operating condition(s) are unknown or unspecified.

FIG. 8 is an illustration of an exemplary onboard operator interface 32 which may be part of vehicle 10A. Onboard operator interface 32 may include an instrument panel including a display device capable of displaying a speedometer and other instrumentation in the form of one or more digital readouts and/or analog gauges. Onboard operator interface 32 may include indication 82 indicative of estimated battery consumption data 50. For example, indication 82 may indicate an estimated battery consumption (e.g., expressed in SoC (%)) expected to complete the selected route. The estimated battery consumption may include an average, median, maximum and/or minimum battery consumption. Indication 82 may be textual or may be graphical. Onboard operator interface 32 may also include indication 84 indicative of a current state of charge of battery 26 of vehicle 10A. Indication 84 may be textual or may be graphical. During operation of vehicle 10A, the operator may be provided with both indications 82, 84, which may, in some situations: (1) provide peace of mind to the operator regarding the ability to reach the intended destination with the current battery charge; (2) help the operator decide when to recharge battery 26; (3) help the operator decide whether or not to turn around; and/or (4) help the operator decide whether or not to change their driving habits to reduce battery consumption.

In some embodiments, indication 82 and/or other element(s) of the instrument panel displayed in FIG. 8 may be provided to the operator via a head-up (e.g., head-mounted) display in the form of a helmet or smart glasses for example. As explained below, indication 82 may also be provided on external operator interface 66 to help the operator during trip planning.

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method 200 of facilitating the operation of vehicle 10A or of another electric off-road vehicle. For example, method 200 may be modified to facilitate the operation of a PWC where route segments RS1, RS2 may include one or more waterways. Aspects of method 200 may be combined with other actions or aspects of other methods described herein. In various embodiments, method 200 may be carried out using onboard system 12, network system 58, or a combination of both onboard system 12 and network system 58. Functions and other aspects of vehicle 10A, onboard system 12 and network system 58 may be incorporated into method 200. Further aspects of method 200 are described below in reference to other figures. In various embodiments, method 200 may be computer-implemented and may include:

facilitating a selection of first route segment RS1 including an off-road trail, and second route segment RS2 including an off-road trail for travelling with electric off-road vehicle 10A (blocks 201, 202, 204);

when a selection of first route segment RS1 is received via onboard operator interface 32 or external operator interface 66:

determining estimated battery consumption data 50 for a trip along first route segment RS1 with electric off-road vehicle 10A; and

outputting estimated battery consumption data 50 for the trip along first route segment RS1 via onboard operator interface 32 or external operator interface 66 (block 206);

when a selection of second route segment RS2 is received via onboard operator interface 32 or external operator interface 66:

determining estimated battery consumption data 50 for a trip along second route segment RS2 with electric off-road vehicle 10A; and outputting estimated battery consumption data 50 for the trip along second route segment RS2 via onboard operator interface 32 or external operator interface 66.

Facilitating the route selection (block 201) may be performed by providing onboard operator interface 32 or external operator interface 66 for enabling operator selection via operator input. Alternatively, the route selection may be performed automatically by using GPS data associated with vehicle 10A and matching the location of vehicle 10A with location data associated with a known route ID 54 within database 78 to identify a selected route (e.g., RS1, RS2) being travelled by vehicle 10A.

In some embodiments, method 200 may include accessing database 78 of past battery consumption data associated with past trips along known route segments (e.g., RS1, RS2) with vehicle 10A and/or with one or more other vehicles 10B. When the selection of first route segment RS1 is received via onboard operator interface 32 or external operator interface 66, estimated battery consumption data 50 for the trip along first route segment RS1 may be determined using the past battery consumption data associated with the past trips along first route segment RS1. When the selection of second route segment RS2 is received via onboard operator interface 32 or external operator interface 66, estimated battery consumption data 50 for the trip along second route segment RS2 may be determined using the past battery consumption data associated with the past trips along second route segment RS2. As explained in reference to FIG. 10 below, estimated battery consumption data 50 for the selected first route segment RS1 or second route segment RS2 may also be associated with one or more planned operating conditions 90 specified by the operator. Estimated consumption data 50 may be determined by the DBMS using the data in database 78, and/or retrieved by the DBMS from categorized past battery consumption data 80 shown in FIG. 7 for example.

FIG. 10 is an illustration of an exemplary operator interface 86A associated with vehicle 10A. Interface 86A may be provided on an instrument panel of vehicle 10A, or may be provided on a personal electronic device such as smartphone 68, laptop computer 70, or a head-mounted display for example. Interface 86A may be provided on a touch-sensitive display device suitable for receiving input from the operator. Interface 86A may be used by the operator during a trip planning stage before travelling the selected route.

Interface 86A may include a window showing map 88 of one or more route segments RS1-RS5 that include off-road trails (or waterways) that may be selected by the operator for building a selected route for a planned trip. Map 88 shows route segment RS1 extending between points A and B as being highlighted to indicate that route segment RS1 has been selected by the operator. Interface 86A may also display an elevation profile of the selected route segment RS1. Map 88 may also show the location of charging stations 89 relative to the displayed route segment RS1-RS5 to assist the operator with trip planning. Map 88 may also show one or more roads 91, which may include streets, highways or other private or public roads intended for automobile traffic. Road 91 may be displayed to have a different appearance (e.g., line weight, line type) from off-road trails (or waterways) to facilitate trip planning and determine suitable trail access locations. In some situations, selectable route segments RS1-RS5 may include both off-road and on-road segments. For example, selectable route segments RS1-RS5 may include a combination of off-road trails and also part(s) of road 91 or other road(s). In some situations, selectable route segments RS1-RS5 may be made entirely of off-road trails. Selectable route segments RS1-RS5 may include zero, one, or a plurality of charging stations 89 disposed either directly along route segments RS1-RS5 or that is/are readily accessible by vehicle 10A from the respective route segments RS1-RS5. Charging stations 89 may be located at or close to intersections between off-road trails and road 91 to facilitate access to vehicles 10A, 10B. In some situations, charging stations 89 may be located at gas or electric charging stations that also accommodate automobile refueling or charging. In some situations, displayed route segments RS1-RS5 may include deviations (e.g., branches or offshoots) that permit travel to charging stations 89 that may be located away from the main route segments RS1-RS5 extending between a starting point (e.g., A) and a destination point (e.g., B).

Interface 86A may also include a window showing planned operating condition(s) 90 associated with the planned trip along the selected route. The operator may select default operating conditions or may (if known) enter specific/custom operating conditions to obtain a more accurate battery consumption data 50 to be displayed in interface 86A. Operating condition(s) 90 may be specified to make use of categorized past battery consumption data 80 shown in FIG. 7 . For example, categorized past battery consumption data 80 may include first past battery consumption data associated with first operating condition C1 along selected route segment RS1, and second past battery consumption data associated with second operating condition C2 along selected route segment RS1. The operator's specification of one or more planned operating conditions associated with the planned trip may permit the planned operating condition(s) to be associated with first operating condition C1 or with second operating condition C2 for example. In such situation, estimated battery consumption data 50 for the planned trip along selected route segment RS1 may be determined using either the first past battery consumption data associated with operating condition C1, or the second past battery consumption data associated with operating condition C2. Operator-defined operating conditions may include an expected weight (load) to carried by vehicle 10A, an expected ambient temperature, an expected trail condition (e.g., snow condition such as groomed, slush, hard packed (icy), fresh powder, etc.), an age of vehicle 10A, an age of battery 26, driving style/habits (e.g., conservative, moderate or aggressive), vehicle operating mode such as “eco”, sport or normal modes.

FIG. 10 shows default operating conditions being selected but also permits the specification of a weight (load) to be carried by vehicle 10A, an ambient temperature, snow conditions, a maximum speed not to be exceeded during the planned trip, and a maximum output torque from motor 18 not to be exceeded during the planned trip. The operating conditions mentioned herein are examples only and it is understood that other operating conditions may affect the estimated battery consumption and may be used to improve the accuracy of estimated battery consumption data 50 for the selected route.

FIG. 10 shows the average, minimum and maximum battery consumption as SoC to complete the selected route segment RS1 using the operating condition(s) 90 input by the operator. Estimated battery consumption data 50 may include an estimated battery consumption required to complete the entire selected route segment RS1. Alternatively, or in addition, estimated battery consumption data 50 may include: an estimated battery consumption required to travel from point A (or another start point) to the closest charging station 89 that may be directly on selected route segment RS1 or that may be readily accessible (e.g., within a threshold distance) from route RS1 by vehicle 10A; or an estimated battery consumption required to travel between two charging stations 89. The operator may also use interface 86A to repeatedly enter different combinations of operating condition(s) 90 and route segments RS1-RS5 to test different scenarios, and obtain different estimated battery consumption data 50 for the different scenarios substantially in real-time.

FIG. 11 is an illustration of another exemplary operator interface 86B associated with vehicle 10A. Interface 86B may be provided on an instrument panel of vehicle 10A, or may be provided on a personal electronic device such as smartphone 68 or laptop computer 70 for example. Interface 86B may be provided on a touch-sensitive display device suitable for receiving input from the operator. Interface 86B may be used by the operator during a trip planning stage. Interface 86B may have elements in common with interface 86A of FIG. 10 and like elements are identified using like reference numerals.

In contrast with interface 86A, interface 86B shows route segments RS2 and RS4 being selected together to define a selected route between points A and B, with a table of respective estimated battery consumption data 50 associated with route segments RS1, selected route RS2+RS4, and route segment RS3 displayed in map 88. The selection of the desired route may be achieved by selecting the graphical representation of the route segments RS1-RS5 defining the desired route in map 88, or by the selection of the corresponding row in the table. Planned operating condition(s) 90 may be specified, and the estimated battery consumption data 50 displayed in the table may be determined using data from database 78 and planned operating condition(s) 90 specified by the operator. Once the desired route has been selected, button 92 may be actuated by the operator to accept the selection for the planned trip.

FIG. 12 is an illustration of an exemplary alert message 94 that may be communicated to the operator of off-road vehicle 10A. Alert message 94 may be communicated to the operator if the current battery charge status (e.g., SoC 43 shown in FIG. 2 ) is insufficient to complete the route selected. Alert message 94 may be acknowledge by the operator and inform the operator that battery 26 should be recharged prior to starting the selected route, or will need to be recharged along the selected route. Alert message 94 may be textual, graphic and/or audible.

Alert message 94 may be displayed on onboard operator interface 32 and/or on external operator interface 66. Alert message 94 may be displayed during the trip planning stage before travelling the selected route and/or when the selected route is being travelled by vehicle 10A. For example, if, during the trip, it is determined that SoC 43 becomes insufficient to complete the selected route, alert message 94 may be provided ahead of time to permit operator to either turn around or to plan to recharge battery 26 at a charging station 89 along the selected route if available. Message 94 or another message may suggest a charging station 89 with the associated SoC 43 to reach the suggested charging station 89.

FIG. 13 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method 300 of facilitating the operation of vehicle 10A or of another electric off-road vehicle. For example, method 300 may be modified to facilitate the operation of a PWC where the route includes a waterway. Aspects of method 300 may be combined with other actions or aspects of other methods described herein. In various embodiments, method 300 may be carried out using onboard system 12, network system 58, or a combination of both onboard system 12 and network system 58. Functions and other aspects of vehicle 10A, onboard system 12 and network system 58 may be incorporated into method 300. Further aspects of method 300 are described below in reference to other figures.

Method 300 (and methods 100, 200) may include revising estimated battery consumption data 50 during the trip if it is determined that the actual battery consumption during the trip differs from estimated battery consumption data 50. Such revision of estimated battery consumption data 50 may improve the accuracy of estimated battery consumption data 50 and further facilitate the operation of vehicle 10A. In various embodiments, method 300 may be computer-implemented and may include:

receiving an identification (e.g., route ID(s) 54 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 ) of a planned trip along a route including an off-road trail for electric off-road vehicle 10A (block 302), electric off-road vehicle 10A may be of a vehicle type identified in block 304;

accessing database 78 including past battery consumption data associated with past trips along the route for the vehicle type (the battery consumption data may be associated with past trips of vehicle 10A and/or one or more other vehicles 10B of the same vehicle type) (block 306);

determining estimated battery consumption data 50 for the planned trip along the route with electric off-road vehicle 10A using the past battery consumption data (block 308);

communicating (e.g., outputting, transmitting, displaying and/or presenting) estimated battery consumption data 50 for the planned trip to an operator of electric off-road vehicle 10A (block 310);

when electric off-road vehicle 10A is travelling along the route:

receiving actual battery consumption data 49 (shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 ) associated with electric off-road vehicle 10A (block 312);

at decision block 314, it may be determined whether or not estimated battery consumption data 50 needs to be revised if estimated battery consumption data 50 differs from actual battery consumption data 49;

when estimated battery consumption data 50 is not substantially the same as actual battery consumption data 49, method 300 may include:

revising estimated battery consumption data 50 for the planned trip based on actual battery consumption data 49 (block 316); and

communicating the revised estimated battery consumption data to the operator of electric off-road vehicle 10A during the planned trip.

In other words, method 300 may include monitoring an actual battery consumption of vehicle 10A during the trip along the selected route, and revise estimated battery consumption data 50 for the trip along the route if needed. In some embodiments, a suitable threshold may be applied at decision block 314 to determine whether estimated battery consumption data 50 is sufficiently different from actual battery consumption data 49 to justify revising estimated battery consumption data 50. At block 314, if estimated battery consumption data 50 is determined to be substantially consistent with actual battery consumption data 49, estimated battery consumption data 50 may be left unchanged at block 320.

As explained above, estimated battery consumption data 50 may include an average of a plurality of past battery consumption values respectively associated with the past trips by vehicle 10A and/or one or more other vehicles 10B. Alternatively or additionally, estimated battery consumption data 50 may include a minimum, median and/or maximum of the plurality of past battery consumption values respectively associated with the past trips. In reference to FIG. 7 , database 78 of past battery consumption data may include first past battery consumption data associated with first operating condition C1 along the selected route segment RS1; and second past battery consumption data associated with second operating condition C2 along the selected route segment RS1. Method 300 may include receiving a planned operating condition (block 322) associated with the planned trip along the selected route segment RS1 with vehicle 10A; associating the planned operating condition with first operating condition C1; and determining estimated battery consumption data 50 for the planned trip along the selected route segment RS1 with vehicle 10A using the first past battery consumption data. Estimated battery consumption data 50 may include an average, median, minimum and/or maximum of a plurality of battery consumption values from the first past battery consumption data. The planned operating condition may include a weight to be carried by vehicle 10A, an expected ambient temperature during the planned trip, an expected trail (e.g., snow) condition, an age of vehicle 10A, an age of battery 26, driving style/habits (e.g., conservative, moderate or aggressive), and/or a vehicle operating (e.g., eco, normal or sport).

Revised estimated battery consumption data 50 may include an estimated battery consumption for a remainder of the trip along the selected route and/or may include an expected discharge rate (i.e., power utilization rate or cost) of battery 26 over time and/or over a distance travelled by vehicle 10A along the route. Accordingly, if the actual discharge rate of battery 26 over a portion of the route differs from the estimated expected discharge rate of battery 26 over the same portion of the route, such difference may require the estimated battery consumption for the remainder of the trip to be revised. For example, as vehicle 10A is travelling the selected route, the actual discharge rate of battery 26 over a portion of the route may be greater or lower than the estimated expected discharge rate of battery 26 by some difference (e.g., +/−5%) for the same portion of the route. In such situation, the original estimated battery consumption for the remainder of the trip may be used as a baseline to which the difference (e.g., +/−5%) may be added or subtracted in order to provide a revised estimated battery consumption for the remainder of the trip.

Such difference between actual and estimated battery consumption may be due to different operating conditions and/or driving habits than those (if any) specified at the planning stage. In any event, the revision of estimated battery consumption data 50 based on actual battery consumption data 49 may, in a relatively simple manner, effectively take into account the applicable operating conditions, driving habits, and other factors that may affect the driving range of battery 26. In some embodiments, the actual consumption of battery 26 may be monitored intermittently or continuously along the route so that estimated battery consumption data 50 may be revised accordingly.

After the completion of the trip along the selected route by vehicle 10A, actual battery consumption data associated with the trip along the route may be communicated to server 60 and stored into database 78 and/or used to further train an artificial intelligence model. Over time, as database 78 continues to be populated with past battery consumption data for past trips along various route segments RS1-RS5, and optionally other routes using different operating conditions, such increased volume of past battery consumption data may provide further opportunities for filtering and categorizing past battery consumption data to provide more reliable estimates to operators. In some embodiments, the use and structure of database 78 may reduce or eliminate the need for complex algorithms to determine estimated battery consumption data 50. For example, the data in database 78 may be filtered into applicable categories, outliers may be eliminated, and averages and ranges may be computed.

In various embodiments, the revised and/or original estimated battery consumption data 50 may be communicated to the operator of vehicle 10A via onboard operator interface 32 and/or via external operator interface 66.

Method 300 may also include comparing estimated battery consumption data 50 to SoC 43 of battery 26, and alerting the operator of vehicle 10A using alert message 94 of FIG. 12 when SoC 43 of battery 26 is insufficient to complete the planned trip along the selected route.

FIG. 14 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method 400 of facilitating the operation of vehicle 10A or of another electric off-road vehicle. For example, method 400 may be modified to facilitate the operation of a PWC where the route includes a waterway. Aspects of method 400 may be combined with other actions or aspects of other methods described herein. In various embodiments, method 400 may be carried out using onboard system 12, network system 58, or a combination of both onboard system 12 and network system 58. Functions and other aspects of vehicle 10A, onboard system 12 and network system 58 may be incorporated into method 400. Further aspects of method 400 are described below in reference to other figures.

An operator of vehicle 10A may define a planned trip along a route that includes one or more known route segments RS1-RS5 with defined route IDs. In other words, the known route segments RS1-RS5 may be “charted” route segments that have been previously travelled and/or that have data associated with them in database 78. The known route segments RS1-RS5 may be those for which one or more systems disclosed herein has access to data associated with the known route segments RS1-RS5. Such data may include past battery consumption data, location, map, elevation profile, and/or length for example.

One of the attractions to off-road vehicles is that they are not confined to travelling along defined roads, paths or trails. There may be numerous possible routes between any given starting and destination points and the operator may have the freedom of deviating from the planned route. For example, the operator may choose to deviate from a planned known route segment to access and travel along another known route segment. In such situation, the planned route and associated estimated battery consumption data 50 may be automatically revised based on GPS data and also based on past battery consumption data associated with the new known route segment(s) that may be available in database 78.

In some situations, the operator may choose to deviate from the planned known route segment to access and travel along an unknown route segment. An unknown route segment may be one that is “uncharted” for which no data may be available in database 78 for example. In various methods disclosed herein, when vehicle 10A is travelling along an unknown route, revising of the battery consumption data may be paused until vehicle 10A returns to a known route segment for which data is available. While travelling along the unknown route segment, the operator may be alerted to the effect that the accuracy of estimated battery consumption data 50 may be affected by the deviation from the known route segment. In some embodiments, the communication of estimated battery consumption data 50 to the operator may be ceased while travelling along the unknown route segment. In some embodiments, the operator may be alerted that estimated battery consumption data 50 is not available while travelling along the unknown route segment. The determination of whether vehicle 10A is on a known or unknown route segment may be made using GPS and map data for example.

After or while vehicle 10A is travelling an unknown route segment, this opportunity may be used to continue to construct database 78 by adding data associated with the unknown route segment to database 78 and assigning a new route ID to the unknown route so that the unknown route may become known. Such data recorded in database 78 for the previously unknown route may include battery consumption data, location, mapping, elevation profile, and/or length for example. The data recorded in database 78 may also include operating condition information associated with vehicle 10A (vehicle type, model, year), an ambient temperature sensed at vehicle 10A; a sensed (or operator-input) weight carried by vehicle 10A during the trip; data relating to driving habits such as average (and/or maximum) speed during the trip, average (and/or maximum) torque output from motor 18 during the trip, vehicle operating mode (e.g. eco, sport, normal), terrain conditions (e.g. snow and ice conditions) and maximum acceleration during the trip. This data may then be used to provide estimated battery consumption data 50 for future trips of vehicle 10A and/or other vehicles 10B along the previously unknown route segment. It is understood that the data acquired for the previously unknown route may be used to train an artificial intelligence model as described above.

In various embodiments, method 400 may include:

receiving estimated battery consumption data 50 for a planned trip along a known route with vehicle 10A (block 402), estimated battery consumption data 50 may be based on past battery consumption data associated with past trips along the known route;

receiving actual battery consumption data 49 associated with vehicle 10A (block 404);

when the electric off-road vehicle is travelling along the known route during the planned trip:

revising (if needed) the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip based on the actual battery consumption data (block 406); and

communicating the revised estimated battery consumption data to the operator of vehicle 10A during the planned trip (block 408); and at block 410, when it is determined that vehicle 10A has deviated from the known route to an unknown route different from the known route during the planned trip and no past battery consumption data is available for the unknown route, method 400 may include ceasing to revise estimated battery consumption data 50 for the planned trip based on actual battery consumption data 49 (block 412).

At block 410, when it is determined that vehicle 10A has returned to the known (planned) route during the planned trip after deviating from the known route, method 400 may return to block 406 and resume to revise (if needed) the estimated battery consumption data 50 for the remainder of planned trip based on actual battery consumption data 49 along the known route as explained above. Determining whether vehicle 10A is deviating from the known route may be achieved by comparing GPS data with map data and determining whether vehicle 10A is within a threshold distance from the known route.

As explained above, method 400 may include acquiring data associated with the unknown route using vehicle 10A (block 414). The data may be recorded at server 60 or at other location remote from vehicle 10A so that the unknown route becomes known and such data may be relied upon for providing future estimated battery consumption data 50 for future planned trips.

In various embodiments, the known route may include an off-road trail or a waterway.

The embodiments described in this document provide non-limiting examples of possible implementations of the present technology. Upon review of the present disclosure, a person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that changes may be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope of the present technology. Modifications could be implemented by a person of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure, which modifications would be within the scope of the present technology. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of facilitating an operation of an electric off-road vehicle, the method comprising: receiving an identification of a planned trip along a route including an off-road trail for the electric off-road vehicle, the electric off-road vehicle being of a vehicle type; using past battery consumption data associated with past trips along the route for the vehicle type, determining estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip along the route with the electric off-road vehicle; communicating the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip to an operator of the electric off-road vehicle; when the electric off-road vehicle is travelling along the route: receiving actual battery consumption data associated with the electric off-road vehicle; revising the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip based on the actual battery consumption data; and communicating the revised estimated battery consumption data to the operator of the electric off-road vehicle during the planned trip.
 2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the estimated battery consumption data includes an average of a plurality of battery consumption values respectively associated with the past trips.
 3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein: using past battery consumption data associated with past trips along the route for the vehicle type includes accessing a database including the past battery consumption data; the past battery consumption data includes: first past battery consumption data associated with a first operating condition along the route; and second past battery consumption data associated with a second operating condition along the route; the method includes: receiving a planned operating condition associated with the planned trip along the route with the electric off-road vehicle; associating the planned operating condition with the first operating condition; and determining the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip along the route with the electric off-road vehicle using the first past battery consumption data.
 4. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein the estimated battery consumption data includes an average of a plurality of battery consumption values from the first past battery consumption data.
 5. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein the planned operating condition includes a weight to be carried by the electric off-road vehicle during the planned trip.
 6. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein the planned operating condition includes an ambient temperature during the planned trip.
 7. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein the planned operating condition includes a trail condition.
 8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the revised estimated battery consumption data includes an estimated battery consumption for a remainder of the trip along the route.
 9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the revised estimated battery consumption data is communicated to the operator of the electric off-road vehicle via an operator interface of the electric off-road vehicle.
 10. The method as defined in claim 1, comprising: comparing the estimated battery consumption data to a current charge status of a battery of the electric off-road vehicle; and alerting the operator of the electric off-road vehicle when the current charge status of the battery of the electric off-road vehicle is insufficient to complete the route.
 11. An electric off-road vehicle comprising: a battery; an electric motor for propelling the electric vehicle, the electric motor being operatively connected to be driven by electric power from the battery; an operator interface; one or more data processors operatively connected to the operator interface; and non-transitory machine-readable memory storing instructions executable by the one or more data processors and configured to cause the one or more data processors to: cause the operator interface to display estimated battery consumption data for a planned trip of the electric off-road vehicle along a route including an off-road trail; when the electric off-road vehicle is travelling along the route, revise the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip based on actual battery consumption data for the electric off-road vehicle; and cause the operator interface to display the revised estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip of the electric off-road vehicle along the route.
 12. The electric off-road vehicle as defined in claim 11, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the one or more data processors to cause the operator interface to facilitate a selection of the route to be travelled by the electric off-road vehicle.
 13. The electric off-road vehicle as defined in claim 11, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the one or more data processors to cause the actual battery consumption data to be communicated to a computer remote from the electric off-road vehicle.
 14. The electric off-road vehicle as defined in claim 11, wherein the electric off-road vehicle is a snowmobile.
 15. A system for facilitating an operation of a first electric off-road vehicle, the system comprising: one or more data processors in data communication with an operator interface; and non-transitory machine-readable memory storing: a database of past battery consumption data associated with past trips along a route including an off-road trail with the first electric off-road vehicle and/or with one or more second electric off-road vehicles; and instructions executable by the one or more data processors and configured to cause the one or more data processors to, when a request for estimated battery consumption data associated with a planned trip along the route with the first electric off-road vehicle is received via the operator interface: determine the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip along the route with the first electric off-road vehicle using the past battery consumption data of the database; and cause the estimated battery consumption data to be output via the operator interface.
 16. The system as defined in claim 15, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the one or more data processors to, when actual battery consumption data of the first electric off-road vehicle is received during the planned trip along the route: revise the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip based on the actual battery consumption data; and cause the revised estimated battery consumption data to be output via the operator interface.
 17. The system as defined in claim 15, wherein the operator interface is part of the first electric off-road vehicle.
 18. The system as defined in claim 15, wherein the operator interface includes a personal electronic device external to the first electric off-road vehicle.
 19. The system as defined in claim 15, wherein: the database of past battery consumption data associated with past trips along the route includes: first past battery consumption data associated with a first operating condition along the route; and second past battery consumption data associated with a second operating condition along the route; the request for estimated battery consumption data includes a planned operating condition associated with the planned trip along the route with the first electric off-road vehicle; the instructions are configured to cause the one or more data processors to: associate the planned operating condition with the first operating condition; and determine the estimated battery consumption data for the planned trip along the route with the first electric off-road vehicle using the first past battery consumption data.
 20. The system as defined in claim 15, wherein the past battery consumption data is associated with past trips along the route with a plurality of the second electric off-road vehicles. 